Series Title: Kids on the Street
Rated: PG-13 or R
Summary: Newsies aren't the only kids on the streets of New York.
Spoilers: The film.
A/N: I rewatched Newsies last night and started thinking about all the kids that went to the rally at the end of the film. It was the Newsies who were on strike and yet the rest of the children came to help them. It just made me think that while their was an unspoken code with Newsies, there must have been one with all the kids in the city. Sort of a 'kids look out for kids, but they also look out for their own first' kind of deal. So, that lead me to writing this. It's more of a series of one shots about other kids, who all work different child labor jobs in the city. Some Newsies from the film may appear or be referred to, but I promise three things: no Mary Sues, everyone will stay in character, and lots of humor/drama/angst!
Prologue aka One Shot One: Angels With Dirty Faces
New York City-1892
It was Mama Kay that first coined the name for them. She had taken one look at the blond haired, blue eyed children and laughing told her girls. "We got angels with dirty faces at our door!"
Mama Kay had then brought the little children into the house and smiled warmly. She asked their ages and feed them bread and milk and real pork.
Aaron was the oldest at ten. He was a tall and lanky boy that always kept a protective eye on the younger ones. Rebecca was just eight, but tall and much too thin. Joshua was six, but looked so much younger; Mama Kay said he was sickly, Aaron defensively said he just didn't talk or hear so good. And finally, Saul who had just turned four, but who seemed so much younger.
According to Mama Kay and her girls, they were perfect.
It was Lizzie who had suggested they stay. It would be simple enough, really. Aaron and Joshua could sleep in the kitchen, while Rebecca and Saul could have the spare room. Aaron and Joshua could get jobs and split their earnings with Mama Kay. Rebecca could clean and sew and cook and learn. As for little Saul, if he could learn to call strange men 'daddy', he'd be useful for a couple of years.
Of course, there would have to be a few changes: A name change or two. A religion change-no Jews in Mama Kay's. And, maybe, even some changes to the back story; no one liked the idea of a crazy dead mother and four fathers for four kids.
And of course there were the big rules: No telling the bulls what went on at Mama Kay's. Aaron, Joshua, and Saul would all have to leave when they turned thirteen. Mama Kay got 75 of anything they paid.
Who were they to argue? Four dirty kids fresh off the boat. Four dirty kids who spoke fifty words of English between them. At Mama Kay's they had a chance. They'd have two baths a day. They'd be taught the finest manners and wear the prettiest clothes. At Mama Kay's they'd be warm and safe and a family.
Well, all of that was in theory. No one ever said they were saved.
TBC in chapter one aka one shot two:
Writing Your Tragedy- His name had been Aaron and James and a thousand other things. But to the other Newsies he was just Book and that was the way he liked it.